European dialogue platform on ethical and
solidarity-based initiatives for combating poverty and social
exclusion

Awareness raising seminars

Following the seminar held in Namur on 4 and 5 December 2003 with the support of the
Walloon Region, which was an initial experiment in dialogue between the authorities and
socially responsible economic initiatives, the Forum held on 4 and 5 November 2004 in the
Chamber of the Council of Europe’s Parliamentary Assembly allowed particularly fruitful
debate. More than 400 people from 39 countries attended, including representatives of 26
governments and of various networks for socially responsible involvement in the economy
at European level. It provided an opportunity to discuss the major questions now arising
about dialogue between authorities and citizens and ideas and proposals for linking public
policies with socially responsible action. The issues presented and discussed included new
concepts and various existing experiences of dialogue between the authorities and socially
responsible initiatives, as well as more immediate projects, such as the creation of the Platform.

Following on from the Forum, other seminars will be held, in particular with the backing
of the Autonomous Province of Trento in Italy. In order to disseminate these concepts in the various countries of Europe,
representatives of those countries where they are new will be involved in these meetings
and seminars so that they can gradually make them their own.